Enduroco

Moving people around Australia has its challenges. Australia is the 6th largest country in the world, at a size of 7.6 million square kilometres, being about 70% desert, and ranging to mountains, rain forest, cliffs and beaches, with all weathers from scorching sun to snow storms and tropical downpours. Arid areas can rapidly become mud zones, roads and highways can become ice and snow covered, but at all times there are variable surfaces from sand to rock that have to be navigated.

Australia needs innovators to nut out safe and efficient ways of moving people around our varied and difficult terrains, and that’s where we come in. We’ve got the good oil on moving groups of people safely to places that used to be no-go zones, which we do by transforming every day Toyota buses and vans into all-purpose 4WD vehicles. Our priorities are your comfort and safety, and we listen to what all of our clients need to meet their off-road goals.

Check out our this video which includes some amazing footage of an EnduroCo converted St John’s Ambulance participating in Australia’s greatest desert race, the 2015 Finke Desert Race.

The Finke Desert Race is an off road, multi terrain two-day race for bikes, cars, buggies and quads through desert country from Alice Springs to the small Aputula (Finke) community. The race is held annually and is one of the biggest annual sporting events in the Northern Territory. It has the reputation of being one of the most difficult off road courses in one of the most remote places in the world. And it goes without saying there are plenty of things that can go wrong in a race like that. Until the 2015 race, it had never been possible for a fully equipped ambulance to follow the race. Both EnduroCo and St John’s Ambulance were proud and excited partners to be the first to make that happen.

We have recently supplied 4×4 bus capacity to many St John’s Ambulance Service buses, to Mt Bulla Buslines, to mining companies, to services providing bus transport for people living with disabilities, and proudly, to indigenous communities living in some of Australia’s harshest environments, and needing safe and reliable bus transportation.

At EnduroCo we are proud to have solved accessibility problems for many different people and many different situations, by fitting Toyota Commuter and Coaster buses with our revolutionary patented 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive bus conversions.

“The addition of several EnduroCo 4WD Toyota Coasters to our fleet has made a big impact to the indigenous women and youth of our Western Alice Springs communities. We are now able to move people in comfort and Safeway 12 months of the year”.

Australia is a big place. Actually, scratch that, it’s huge. It’s also home to some of the most incredible wildlife, scenery and people in the world. There are a huge number of spots to visit in this big country, and whether you have a week or a year, you’ll be bound to find something that’s near your home and begging to be explored. To whet your whistle for some outback adventures, we’ve compiled a list of the top five Aussie outback adventures that you should definitely pop onto your to-do list for some point in the future.

Camp out in a swag under the stars of the Simpson Desert

Located in the driest part of Australia, there is a vast expanse of dunes and red sand that lies in the middle of the country. The Simpson Desert Conservation park is an incredible mass of parallel dunes that stretch for as far as the eye can see and the Simpson Desert straddles across three states; South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory. It’s possible to explore this incredible natural spot by four wheel drive – (don’t have a four wheel drive? Speak to us today about a toyota 4WD conversion for your vehicle) – and to see the stunning scenery up close. Among the sandy dunes thrives an ecosystem consisting of grasslands, scrub, gidgee and wildflowers. The real experience here is to cross the desert (making sure that you cross Big Red off your list) and then set up camp overnight with a canopy of a billion stars as your night light. Sure beats watching Big Brother.

Hit the Top End

Cape York is well worth a trip for any budding 4WD enthusiast, if only for the fact that you can stand at the top of the continent and pose for a picture with the sign up there. The four wheel driving on the way up can get a bit hairy at times too, so make sure you’re prepared with the necessary equipment!

Travel along the Strzelecki Track

Spanning from Innamincka to Lyndhurst, this incredible route is steeped in history and adventure. It was discovered by Charles Sturt in 1845 and the further discovery of Cooper Creek then opened the area up for cattle and settlers. The actual ‘track’ itself was blazed by harry Redford, a cattle thief who was drove 1000 stolen cattle over untracked countryside from central Queensland to Adelaide. He was caught, but thanks to his efforts of creating a new stock route, he was let off the hook! He then went on to become one of the greatest drovers in history.

Discover the Top End

The Northern Territory is a huge and sparse part of Australia, with a lot of incredible indigenous history and culture. It’s an incredible place for four wheel driving as well, but bear in mind that some areas are closed to drivers as they are culturally significant, so be aware. A great place to start is Kakadu, and you can make your way all the way down to Alice Springs in a week or so; incredible adventuring for the whole family.

Coast from Perth to Broome

While you’d happily be able to take a 2WD car the entire length of the highway from Perth to Broome, you’ll find a whole lot more excitement when you take the road less travelled and set off for some four wheel driving. There are a number of marked and unmarked tracks, so be sure to let someone know where you’re going and when you intend to return in order to stay safe.

When you’re planning an outback adventure, you need to be prepared and ready for anything that can possibly go wrong. It’s not enough to simply think that you’ve got a winch and a couple of snatch straps either, if you don’t know how to use them! That said, even when you’ve got all the gear and are well-versed in the ways of outback 4WD rescue, there’s still plenty that can go wrong. Watch the video below which reveals how two outback experts make their way through what is probably one of the craziest outback rescues ever! It just goes to show that even when you’re an expert and have all the best tools, the outback is unpredictable and you need to be ready for anything!

Let’s take a look at the top five things you should have under your belt before you set off on your outback adventure.

Four-wheel drive vehicle
This might be a bit of a no-brainer, but one critical thing that you are going to need for any outback adventure in Australia is a good 4WD car. You’ll need it for the sand dunes of the Simpson Desert, the corrugated roads of the Strzelecki Track, the flooded creeks of the Top End and the harsh and unyielding heat of the outback. If you like your vehicle to be comfortable as well as hardy, you can consider a 4WD conversion, with Toyota coaster conversions being a very popular option for many outback-faring people.

Good mechanical knowledge
When you’re setting out into the great unknown with just you, your family or your friends, you’re going to need to know how to get yourself out of trouble, if you happen to get into any. Good basic working knowledge of how to fix your vehicle would be a great place to start, so why not check out a local mechanic’s course in your area if you’re considering an adventure into the outback? It’ll be a handy skill to have regardless.

Rescue material
As you will have seen in the video – having the right gear to do a rescue is so important for the outback. If you get bogged, you’re often three days from the nearest person who can help you, so you need to be able to help yourself. Snatch straps, winches and a good bullbar and roll cage on your vehicle will go a long way towards ensuring that you are safe and ready to go.

Plenty of petrol and water
In the outback, service stations don’t pop up all that often so it’s vital that you have jerrycans of fuel and water – as much as you can carry (or need to carry) so that if something goes wrong, you’re able to fill up and stay hydrated. You’ll be well served with a reserve fuel tank on your 4WD as well, as it allows you to carry twice the amount of fuel as usual.

A good, patient attitude
When you’re driving through the outback, life happens a little slower at times, so it pays to have a good, relaxed attitude about the journey and to take your time with things. Not rushing is key to ensuring that you stay safe, so make sure you keep your head screwed on right and you’ll have a great time.

Get in touch with us at Enduroco on 1300 493 493 for any of your four wheel drive conversion needs and make your outback adventure dreams a reality today!

The Australian Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development grants EnduroCo™ a second Identification Plate Approval (IPA) or Secondary Stage Manufacturing Approval (SSM) for the manufacture and 4WD conversion of the Toyota Commuter Bus and the Toyota Hiace Van.

The EnduroCoTM Toyota Commuter Bus and Hiace Van 4WD conversion upgrades are an Australian and world first 4WD conversion for these Toyota vehicles, conceived, designed, tested and manufactured by EnduroCo™ in collaboration with Alfred Lewis Engineering, in Melbourne, Victoria.

St John Darwin partnered with EnduroCo to build their first “Next Generation” Toyota Commuter 4WD Ambulance under the tutelage of the Darwin workshop manager Mark O’Shaughnessy. Following the success of this venture the St John Darwin workshop has been engaged as an EnduroCo™ Production Facility. As a production facility, the St John Darwin workshop will represent EnduroCo™ in the Northern Territory performing 4WD conversion installations, maintenance & spare parts distribution.

The St John Darwin mechanical & fleet centre provides a wide range of services for individual or business fleet vehicles with all profits used to support dedicated Volunteers by allowing them to serve local communities.